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Stank and cleaning unfinished maple neck/fretboard (non Warmoth)

N

Neo Fender

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Just bought a used (about a year old or less) Pro Series Jackson Dinky; https://www.jacksonguitars.com/guitars/dinky/models/pro-dk2mq-maple-fingerboard-chlorine-burst/.  Have a couple of questions;

(1) B.O. ?  I bought a Peavey amp from a guy once whom was obviously a smoker.  Simply taking the amp away from that environment and having it sit in “fresh” air (Madison Square Basement) seemed to get rid of the stench for good after only a few days. 

This guitar smells more like a gym sock or maybe it was basted in a pool of sweat.  Sitting in a Gator hardshell case probably doesn’t help either so I’ve been keeping it out in the open (indoors) as much as possible.  Any other thoughts? 

(2) Neck cleaning; I know this subject gets beat pretty hard but I’ve never read so many diverse opinions on any other guitar-related subject:

One camp (e.g. EVH’s guitar tech) says use a cleaner with a high water content and don’t use any oils (for what it’s worth, I’m sure EVH can afford all of the replacement necks that he needs). 

Another Respected Internet Guitarist will just as soon come along and recommend Murphy’s Oil Soap, lemon oil or mineral oil and add that water will undesirably raise the wood grain.

So - what works on a fairly funky neck without harming it?

Thanks.
 
Naphtha. If that doesn't work, you're in deep, meaningful sheep dip.

Avoid anything that has water in it. For that matter, I'd avoid anything with oil in it. You wanna clean it, not raise the grain or gunk it up.
 
I might have advised acetone, but it would damage the binding and the inlays, so... yeah, your best bet is naphtha.
 
Naphtha is the duct tape of solvents. It rarely harms anything, and is almost always effective. Everybody should have a quart or so around the house. Acetone cuts better, but it will often cut things you don't want affected. Finishes, plastics, etc. will often dissolve in its presence.
 
And for those of you in California -


Naptha doesn't show up at Home Depot, Lowes, etc., but you can get it in paint stores like Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, Dunn & Edwards -- and even then, you may need to ask the guy to go in back to get it for you.


Voice of experience up in here, is all I'm sayin'.







 
Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol, -preferably the 90% stuff with less water in it) is great at dissolving skin oils and is very gentle on most finishes (with the exception of shellac), but spot-check on the heel to see how it will act with your finish. It is also anti-bacterial, so I'm guessing that it would both de-fat and de-funk at the same time.
 
Denatured alcohol isn't expensive and is widely available, plus it doesn't have any water in it, which is a Good Thing. Isopropanol is more for biological uses. Back rubs, cleaning wounds, etc.
 
Day-mun said:
If it is stinkin' like he says it is, it IS a biological issue!  :icon_jokercolor:
Click to expand...

Hehe! No doubt. But, denatured alcohol will cut as fast or faster than isopropanol, and it doesn't have any water in it. You don't want to put water on raw wood if you can help it, or unless you have a plan to deal with the raised grain.
 
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